“While kids are statistically the lowest risk population, they have also been especially vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic’s resulting shutdown. Kept from school, trying to learn online, and worried about the financial and health risks to their parents, children have been anything but buffered from the realities of [COVID-19].”
– Angus Reid Institute, 2020
The following links provide valuable information during the pandemic on children’s mental health, physical activity, nutrition, learning from home and COVID-19 awareness resources. These links provide parents, educators, children and youth as well as PHE advocates with tools to help cope with the societal changes that have been implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic issued March 17th, 2020.
Website: A printable recipe for an active day
Website: version française
Background Info
Active for Life helps Canadians raise physically literate kids. At Activeforlife.com parents, educators and coaches will find fun activities, engaging articles, and free resources to get kids active, healthy and happy.
Having kids at home all day can be challenging, especially when it comes to being physically active. Active for Life has provided families with a printable outline for having an active day while staying at home, that parents and children can complete together.
Website: Resources
Website: version française
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Active for Life helps Canadians raise physically literate kids. At Activeforlife.com parents, educators and coaches will find fun activities, engaging articles, free resources to get kids active, healthy and happy, and also provide information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Website: CIRA Ontario Fair & Square
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Following PHE guidelines can seem intimidating given the restrictions due to the pandemic. CIRA Ontario has created a document called Fair & Square for parents and teachers. Fair & Square affords ways to accommodate the pandemic in order to provide safe and effective delivery of the PHE curriculum, while considering the restrictions in place.
Website: Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
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ConnexOntario provides the public with services related to addictions, mental health, and problem gambling treatment services. ConnexOntario also has an information section that includes a COVID-19 self-assessment tool and a map of Ontario’s COVID-19 assessment centres.
Website: Advice for the general public about COVID-19
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The Dietitians of Canada has responded to the publics outreach in questions surrounding COVID-19. Questions include topics such as diet and immunity, nutritional advice if you are self-isolating, safe food practices, and much more.
Website: Taking care of your mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Provided by the Government of Canada, this online resource has tips for taking care of yourself during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as information on what to do if you are in a crisis.
Website: Healthy eating during the COVID-19 pandemic
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Provided by the Government of Canada, check out this website to learn about healthy eating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using this resource, you will learn about making healthy food choices, recommended foods to buy, ideas for healthy meals and snacks, and healthy takeout suggestions.
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This resource by the Government of Canada teaches about healthy eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn about mindful eating, as well as eating and cooking with others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Website: Healthy eating during the COVID-19 pandemic: Meal planning
Website: version française
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Meal planning is especially important right now. Use this resource from the Government of Canada to learn how to incorporate meal planning at home. Explore ways to plan meals, find grocery shopping recommendations and learn proper food storage techniques, how to make the most of leftovers and how to meal plan when on a budget.
Website: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Awareness resources
Website: version française
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Multiple resources are available to the public to learn about COVID-19, specifically; protection against the virus, helping family after contracting the virus, being prepared, cleaning and much more.
Website: Colouring pages to help children learn about COVID-19
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Do your kids love to colour? Enjoy these colouring activities with your children and teach ways to enjoy being outdoors while social distancing, hand washing, and spending time with family.
Website: Learn at home
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The Government of Ontario has provided a resource page where you can find resources by grade, resources for parents, guardians, and caregivers, training resources for teachers and featured resources.
Website: COVID-19: Support for students and parents
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Use this resource if you are interested in learning about Ontario’s school closures, childcare supports and how to learn from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Website: Approach to reopening schools for the 2020-2021 school year
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Provided by the Government of Ontario, this resource provides parents and educators with Ontario’s approach to reopening schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
Website: 13 ways to ease concerns about school during COVID-19
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Kids Help Phone is available 24/7 to young people in Canada. Whether by phone, text, mobile app or through the website, Kids Help Phone is always open for young people in any moment of crisis or need.
In addition, the Kids Help Phone website also offers several articles and resources for young people to help support and improve their emotional health and well-being.
Although there are few answers to many questions, Kids Help Phone has provided 13 tips and tricks for easing feelings of anxiety and stress surrounding schools and COVID-19.
Website: Ontario 211- Community and Social Services Help Line
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COVID-19 has been anything but easy to deal with. Ontario 211 can help you find information on government and community-based social services. Use this website to access support phone numbers, utilize a live chat that is available Monday-Friday 7:00am-9:00pm and much more.
Website: Resources to Support Parents and Caregivers with Health and Physical Education at Home
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Interested in teaching your children about health and physical education from home? OPHEA has provided parents and caregivers with resources that aim to support health and physical education within the home setting. These resources include dance activities, physical activities with math, puberty and health activities, and many more.
Website: Responding, Recovering and Re-imagining
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Learn about OHPEA’s thoughts about what the future of education may look like and the importance of student well-being while at school.
Website: Should I go outside in the COVID-19 era?
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Outdoor Play Canada is a website that is working towards stimulating an outdoor play movement across Canada. Learn about current facts regarding outdoor activities and social distancing, written by researchers Louise de Lannoy, Mariana Brussoni and Mark Tremblay. Topics include the likelihood of outdoor COVID-19 transmission, immunity, and ways to get active outdoors.
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Use this document to learn about how the Physical and Health education curriculum and health promoting opportunities can be delivered using safe and effective methods.
Website: Return to School PHE
Website: https://eps-canada.ca/activez/retour-lecole-eps?_ga=2.146826103.1961955736.1597238876-2053082588.1592232337
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PHE Canada has provided a variety of resources to help teachers cope with the changes associated with going back to the classroom since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These tools can help to support teachers, encourage a positive mindset, and provide some necessary skills to help navigate any new challenges that educators may be faced with this school year.
Website: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
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Public Health Ontario has developed and provided multiple resources related to COVID-19 and the challenges it presents. By using this resource, you will have quick access to health care resources, workplace resources, laboratory testing in Ontario, and much more.
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Are you have a difficult time sleeping due to COVID-19 or even before the pandemic began? The Sleep Foundation has come up with some guidelines to try and help get your sleep schedule back on track and help you have a deep and stress-free slumber.
Website: How to encourage good sleep habits for your children during the COVID-19 crisis
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Sleep on it Canada has provided 10 pieces of advice for parents to consider when trying to help their child(ren) have a better quality sleep during the pandemic.
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Your Health Matters outlines some general tips to assist parents, children and healthcare works with getting enough sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The above links are provided for informational and convenience purposes only; participation by the Northeastern Ontario Research Team for Health and Physical Activity (NORTH PA) lab does not imply endorsement by, or partnership with any of the listed organizations, resources and/or links. The NORTH PA lab bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external sites or for that of subsequent links. Please contact the external sites for answers to questions regarding its content.
